Cinemascope: The Rainmaker

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.



Released in 1997.

Plot line: Francis Ford Coppola directs and scripts an exciting, star-packed adaptation of John Grisham's novel about an idealistic young attorney who takes on the case of a lifetime.

There was a time I eagerly awaited and read every novel John Grisham published. Many of those older novels were made into excellent movies, and this is one of them. I've watched this a couple of times over the decades, and it continues to hold up. A great ensemble cast and a really good story.

You can see the trailer here. If you have yet to see it, this is a movie worth watching.

Recent Reads

186. The Complete Decorated Journal: A Compendium of Journaling Techniques
This is a re-read. I had previously read both The Decorated Page and The Decorated Journal, by the author, and this book combines those two into one fat book, chock-full of lovely examples of journals and journal pages, and tips on how to get started with journaling. There are also sections on how to bind your own journal, historical tidbits about journals and journal keeping, and easy to follow step by step directions to get you started. This is a fun book that is worth picking if you want to keep an illustrated journal, or if you already keep one and are looking for some inspiration. Rating: 4 stars.

187. Plutona
2.5 rounded up.

This volume collects all five of the issues in this completed graphic novel series.

The story revolves around a fallen superhero (of the title), and the kids who discover her body and what happens next. It had Stand By Me tones, without being as good. I liked how the story shows the very different life circumstances of these kids, and the meanness and bulling that many kids experience was well captured. However, the story plot itself was not compelling, and there wasn't really any new ground trod with this one. The art, while not by Lemire, felt like his artwork, so I liked that, and the juxtaposition of the somewhat childish art with dark themes was interesting.

The thing I liked most about this story was the behind the scenes life of the super hero, but don't let the cute cover art fool you, this one is not appropriate for wee readers. Rating: 3 stars.

188. The Unseen World
Will I never learn to stay away from the hyped book of the moment? Apparently not. This one though was highly rated by readers I trust, so it was even more of a disappointment.

At page 55 I was already bored and wondering what all the fuss was about. The writing is pedestrian, the characters not fleshed out, and there is absolutely no emotion whatsoever, and unless the author was doing that for the reason I thought.... I continued reading. At page 255, I no longer cared, skipped to the end, confirmed my suspicions, and then skimmed the rest of the book to fill in the blanks.

This is the story of Ada, who is home/lab schooled by "David, her brilliant, eccentric, socially inept single father, who directs a computer science lab in 1980s-era Boston." David starts to exhibit signs of early onset Alzheimers, and as his mind unravels, so does Ada's life. The mystery of figuring out David's secrets is at the core of this story.

The author explores some interesting topics, the Turing Test is explained in the opening chapters, and sets the backdrop that this story plays out against. As an Electrical Engineer who has worked for several software startups, there just wasn't enough meat on the backbone of this story. The science/business parts were cliched scenes, with little depth or nuance. There is no show, it is all tell: this happened, then this happened, then this. The story jumps back and forth in time, as we learn more about David's history, again all told from an emotional distance, just the facts. His story would have made an interesting book, but this is not his story, not really.

This should have worked. It has an interesting premise, and plays with some interesting ideas, but I was bored for much of the telling. Rating: 1 star.

189. Lazarus, Vol. 1: Family
Let me start by stating that I want someone to make this a TV show. HBO? Netflix? Anybody?

This volume collects issues #1-4, and previously only-available-online, four-page short, "Family: Prelude."

The premise of this graphic novel is what sucked me in. The setting is a near future dystopian world where governments no longer exist, resources are scarce, and territories are governed by wealthy Families. People are categorized as being a member of a family (awesome), being a serf, someone who works for the family in some capacity so has value (not as awesome), and waste, people who add no value, and are useless (not even on the awesome spectrum). Everyone in this world (Earth) is human, but each family has a Lazarus, who is a genetically modified, kick-ass, almost immortal, whose sole purpose is to protect the members of their family, and their holdings. The story starts as Forever Carlyle gets shot up and left for dead. The thing is, Forever, also called Eve, is a Lazarus. Game on.

Seriously, this is so much in my wheelhouse that it actually hurts me to be unable to give it a higher rating. I love Eve (hate the name Forever, yuck!) and her story, and her total kick-assedness (that's a word right?). But, the plot itself is weak. Why, Greg Rucka? Why? This should be a Games of Thrones type saga, but the characters are not well fleshed out, and while the art is dark and moody, I don't particularly love it either. Also, so many things don't make sense. As just one example, why does each family only have one Lazarus? They have unlimited wealth, so why not build multiples? Sure they're expensive, but they've got to be cheaper than paying and feeding those large security forces, who fall apart the moment a Lazarus shows up. Sigh.

All, that being said, I completed the print edition of this book around midnight, and promptly downloaded the rest of the series from my library. So that's what I'll be immersed in for a little while. Keeping my fingers crossed that the writing gets better. Rating: 3 stars.

190. Adulthood Is a Myth
This book is a collection of comic strips/panels about a young woman who is not ready, nowhere near ready, to be an adult. What does it mean to be an adult anyway? You mean you have to get out of your PJs, put aside your books, leave your cat at home, and head outside? Who on earth would sign up for that?

This little book is a fun read, and there are several panels that had me laughing out loud. If you are in the mood for a quick, amusing interlude in the midst of all that serious reading you're up to, give this one a try. I do think though, that it will resonate much better for new/emerging/baby adults - or whatever the heck it is you all call yourselves! Rating: 3 stars.

Seasons Greetings

I cannot phrase it better than Neil Gaiman, so Happy Holidays and "I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind."

2016 December Daily Art Project | Days 11-15

Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

This will be my third December Daily project, and like last year I have challenged myself to create art every day this month. I post daily on my Instagram account, and will update the blog every five days or so. You can see the results of 2015 and 2010 here.

Day 11/31:

Day 12/31:

Day 13/31:

Day 14/31:

Day 15/31:

If you are playing along, do let me know, so I can follow along.

2016 December Daily Art Project | Days 6-10

Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

This will be my third December Daily project, and like last year I have challenged myself to create art every day this month. I post daily on my Instagram account, and will update the blog every five days or so. You can see the results of 2015 and 2010 here.

Day 6/31:

Day 7/31:

Day 8/31:

Day 9/31:

Day 10/31:

If you are playing along, do let me know, so I can follow along.

2016 December Daily Art Project | Days 1-5

Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

This will be my third December Daily project, and like last year I have challenged myself to create art every day this month. I post daily on my Instagram account, and will update the blog every five days or so. You can see the results of 2015 and 2010 here.

Day 1/31:

Day 2/31:

Day 3/31:

Day 4/31:

Day 5/31:

If you are playing along, do let me know, so I can follow along.

Madonna's Full Acceptance Speech at Billboard Women In Music 2016 (Video)

And yes, it's that Madonna, and before you fluff it off, give this a listen. It'll take about 10 minutes of your day, and if you are not in tears let me know. Don't make the mistake of watching it right before bed as I did though. Rock on Material Girl. Rock on.

Madonna delivers heartfelt acceptance speech addressing sexism, misogyny, and feminism in the music industry at Billboard Women In Music 2016.

If the embedded video does not work, click here.

Recent Reads

181. The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil
I'm conflicted about this graphic novel. On the one hand, I really liked the black and white art, and the themes explored are not only relevant today, but have been relevant since Sapiens started forming into little bands. Oh, and the main character is a man, who draws his surroundings at the end of each day. Loved that.

What's it about? Well, it's about communities, and needing to fit in, and fear of the unknown, and how whenever some people are faced with something new/different, they react in rather narrow minded and hateful ways.

Wonderful themes for sure, but I did not feel that this graphic novel shed any new light on them. So while I enjoyed this fairy tale like story, it will not leave any lingering traces in its wake. Rating: 3 stars.

182. The Singing Bones: Inspired by Grimms' Fairy Tales
I'm a fan of Shaun Tan and his work, so was delighted to get my hands on this one, and it does not disappoint.

The thing to know going in is that it is not a typical book that you read. Like many of us, the author is fascinated by fairy tales, and he created little sculptures that capture the essence of 75 of the Brothers Grimm stories. I had not heard of many of these fairy tales, so it was lovely to have a little synopsis of each story at the end of the book.

The format of the book is as follows, each two page spread has the name of the story, and a little blurb from it on the left, and a beautifully composed photograph of a little sculpture that interprets the text on the right. It's the imagination that created these little sculptures that will take your breath away.

I would highly recommend this one to fans of fairy tales, art, and Shaun Tan. This book is like holding a wonderfully curated gallery of art in your hands. Rating: 4 stars.

183. The Bluest Eye
At 10.0%: "When I find myself disappointed by recently hyped books, I find myself reaching for the classics. They are classics for a reason. Loving this one."

At 60.0%: "I'm slowly making my way through this one. It simultaneously makes me smile and makes my heart ache."

I've read a couple of books by the author, and have decided to go back and read her work in order of publication. That this is the author's debut novel is mind boggling. I don't know if I can put into words how much I loved this book.

Since this is a classic, I'm sure most people know what it's about, so let me start with the question by Malcolm X that the author quoted in her afterward, "Who taught you to hate yourself from the top of your head to the soles of your feet?"

When you think about this story it might be little Pecola Breedlove that comes to mind, a poor "ugly" black girl, who is mocked for her blackness, who prays daily to be beautiful, which she equates with blond hair and blue eyes. Where does one's sense of what is beautiful come from? Take a minute and answer that question for yourself. For most people of color, the answer to that question looks nothing like what we see in the mirror. Why is that?

This is not an easy book to read, but it is important that it be read, and the themes it explores be discussed. One might think this is historical fiction, a thing that is no longer relevant today, and you would be wrong. There are young girls of color close to me who would give anything for blue eyes, and I mean anything. Breaks my heart. I am actually in tears as I write this, as I love these girls dearly, and the depths of their self hatred is heartbreaking. In this novel Toni Morrision asks insightful questions about race, class, gender, and community that we all would do well to ponder.

I listened to the audiobook, which is superbly narrated by the author, and I loved the afterword where the author talks about her inspiration for this book. Highly recommended. Rating: 5 stars.

184. Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq
What is journalism? How are stories retold? Where do memory and truth meet? These are some of the questions explored in this wonderful graphic nonfiction book. This is timely read for our times, when there are unprecedented numbers of refugees and displaced people on the planet.

The author is not a journalist, but goes along with two journalist friends and a former Marine, as they travel around Turkey, Iraq, and Syria trying to understand the effects of the Iraq War on the people who lived in the region. This book is an exploration of the questions above. The muted watercolor art is lovely and works really well.

The death of mainstream journalism is not news to anyone, and I for one am much heartened to see that there are still people who work hard at telling stories that affect, and should matter to, all of us. Rating: 4 stars.

185. Make Your Own Ideabook with Arne & Carlos: Create Handmade Art Journals and Bound Keepsakes to Store Inspiration and Memories
I spotted this book on my library shelves and brought it home with me. I'm a fan of idea books, and the authors show how they make theirs, showcase several of their books, with tips for themed books. I loved the photography in this book, seeing all those fat, splayed out books make me want to paw through them. However, the content itself was on the light side, so just OK. Rating:2 stars.

Inktober 2016 Part 4/4 (Video)

Week 4.



If the embedded video not work, click here.

Recent Reads

176. Angel Catbird, Vol. 1
I'm a fan of both Margaret Atwood and cats, so was really looking forward to lapping this up (pun intended). Alas, it is so bad that I wonder if it is this bad on purpose.

Atwood is also a fan of birds, and this graphic novel is a rather heavy handed PSA about why letting a cat range free is bad for both cats and birds. Now, I'll admit to being surprised by the sheer number of bird deaths attributed to cats, but this message could have just as easily been conveyed in a short pamphlet, blog or Facebook post.

This ludircous story is how Strig Feleedus is accidentally mutated when his DNA merges with that of his cat and an owl. Catbird. Get it? The puns are lame, the art is mediocre, and there is nothing about this one I enjoyed. As for that cliff hanger? I could care less. Rating: 1 star.

177. Hot Milk
At 25% : Oy veh, but the angst of a twenty-something immature woman can be mind numbingly boring. Almost quit on this one, then the image of an octopus at the pearly gates made me laugh out loud. Not sure I'll make it to the end of this one ....

I've not had a good run with books shortlisted for prizes this year, and this one is no exception. The fact that this made the Booker shortlist, makes me leery of all the others in that category, so someone please let me know if there are any on that list I should try.

This is my first exposure to this author, and it's not her writing I have an issue with, it's what she writes about that doesn't work for me. Her writing is clear, simple, and descriptive, but the story, the pacing, the narrative are all rather boring. And don't get me started on the dialog. Who talks like that?

This premise should have worked. Who cannot relate to a young woman coping with her difficult mother, who might or might not be a hypochondriac? But to be so emotionally stunted in your mid twenties means there is little for the reader to latch on to. I felt like picking Sophia up by the scruff of her neck and giving her a good shake.

Metaphors and puns abound, and while some of them are clever, I was bored through most of this one, and at about 30% in, I'm dumping it on my DNF pile. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Romola Garai, who seemed to capture this twenty-something angst perfectly. Rating: 1 star.

178. Beloved Dog
There is no doubt that the author adores dogs, and I think most dog lovers will enjoy this book. I however, was expecting something else. I'm a fan of the author's work, but did not know going in that this was an anthology of sorts - showcasing dogs that have appeared in her previous books. As usual I love the art, but I was not captivated with this one as I usually am with her books. Rating: 2 stars.

179. Dark Matter
2.5 stars rounded up.

I tried this one in print form a while ago, but the writing did not seem good enough for a sit-down-with-a-mug-of-tea read, so I put it aside. A couple of months later I listened to the audiobook, which is well narrated by Jon Lindstrom.

A guy walks into a bar, is abducted, stripped off his clothes, drugged, and wakes up in an unfamiliar place surrounded by strangers who seem to know him intimately. What the what?

This one should have been right up my alley. Quantum Mechanics and the exploration of what that entails? Count me in. I'm familiar with the physics, though my brain does not fully understand what the heck it all means, so I was looking forward to a deep dive into these themes, and while this was an fast ride, it does not deliver on the promise of the premise. It's a fast, thrillery sort of read, with zero character development, that lightly touches on the themes of regret, paths not taken, and lives not lead. It did seem rather preachy in parts, and that surprised me. You know what else surprised me? The notion that in this hi-tech science fiction thriller, we have good old fashioned guns and knives. Really? The entire time I was listening to the book, it felt like a movie was playing out in my mind, and that's what this felt like - a movie script - so I'm not surprised to see that it's been optioned to be one.

If you are interested in the subject matter, check out the 2004 docudrama What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? It's a much more satisfying and mind blowing use of your time. Rating: 3 stars.

180. Thunder & Lightning: Weather Past, Present, Future
Remember reading big, brightly colored books as a kid and being completely immersed in the experience? Reading this book felt like that.

It's a little hard to describe this one. It's non-fiction, but not really a graphic novel, as there's no narrative per se. It's really a science art book. Yes, I'll go with that. The author breaks up Weather into various chapters, and includes some fascinating and quirky tidbits accompanied by folk-artsy illustrations. One chapter, titled Sky, has no words at all, just paintings.

If you are looking for an adultish scientific book on weather, this is not it, but if you are in the mood to explore the topic in a manner you did as a kid, pick this one up. It's a fun, colorful, and educational read. Rating: 4 stars.

Recent Reads

171. Lester's Dreadful Sweaters
"Cousin Clara's cottage was consumed by a crocodile. Luckily, Cousin Clara wasn't in it."

When a picture book for young readers starts that way, you know that you are in for a fun ride. The only problem, as far as Lester is concerned, is that Cousin Clara comes to live with them, and brings along her knitting needles and is determined to knit him sweaters. Adults are often guilty of giving hideous gifts to kids, and Cousin Clara is no exception. What is poor Lester to do?

This is a cute, quick read with lovely art. I especially loved the expressions the dog had on his face throughout this story. As an Aunt myself, I was rather fond of Cousin Clara. Elementary school aged kids, who need to obey seemingly random decrees by adults, will empathize with Lester I think. Rating: 3 stars.

172. The Only Child
I'm not an only child, so while I did not experience that particular type of loneliness, every child surely feels lonely from time to time.

This wordless picture book is a lovely story of a lonely little girl who gets lost on her way to her Grandma's house, and a magical friend who helps her in her time of need. The black and white pencil drawings wonderfully evoke the dreamscape of childhood.

If you have yet to read this ode to childhood and imagination, move it up your TBR pile. Rating: 4 stars.

173. The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye
I cannot summarize it better than Kenny Mah of the The Malay Mail, so will simply quote him:

“Part graphic novel, part art book, part narrative essay, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye by Malaysian-born, Eisner Award nominated comic artist and illustrator Sonny Liew is a look at Singapore unlike any other before. By reflecting on the life and work of a comic creator whose career spanned half a century, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye comments wryly on Singapore’s past and present while honoring comics as a storytelling medium.”

This is a staggering work from an incredibly talented author/artist, and I often forgot that Charlie Chan Hock Chye was not a real person in history, but an artist that the author created as a device to document Singapore's turbulent history. The versatility and range of artistic styles in this graphic novel are in of themselves worth the price of admission, and I learned some history along the way.

An NPR review: http://www.npr.org/2016/03/05/4689413...

The only reason I docked a star is due to my own shortcoming. I do not know much of the history described here, so there were moments of confusion as I tried to make sense of it all. With this graphic novel, Sonny Liew has raised the bar of what can be expected from this genre. Highly recommended. Rating: 4 stars.

174: Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy #2)
This, the second book in the Farseer Trilogy, should be subtitled "Boy Who Runs With Wolf." This is a very long book in which not much happens. I could summarize the plot in about ten sentences, the rest is just filler. The writing is good, and it's an easy read, but honestly why does it take so long for anything to happen? There are some really fun sections at the start and end, but almost the entire middle could have been condensed to about a hundred or so pages. Blah, Blah, Blah. And don't get me started on that ending. I'm all for strange magical systems, but honestly?!

Based on reviews, the final book in this trilogy is even worse. So here's my quandary. This is the first trilogy in the Elderings series of sixteen books, and I've heard that they get so much better as the series progresses. And yet the thought of another thirty of so hours to complete this first trilogy seems to be a heavy price to pay. So am thinking that I'll skip to the next trilogy in the set, and read the Wiki page to learn what I need to know. Yes, I heard that loud gasp, but honestly people, life is too dang short to waste time, so if anyone can sum up Assassin's Quest in a dozen or so sentences for me it'd be much appreciated. I'm moving on to Ship of Magic.

PS. I listened to the audiobook (almost 30 hours), narrated by Paul Boehmer. Rating: 2 stars.

175. Azores, 5th
"This is the only guide in English that provides details of travel and activities alongside in-depth background information."

That statement is true. I looked far and wide for a good travel guide for a recent trip to the Azores, and could not find anything. This one though is rather quirky, and the author is either a non-native speaker, or it was translated by one, because some of the way the it is written is unintentionally humorous. The in-depth background information seemed to overshadow the what to actually see and do portions of this book, and there is no sense of what is a must see/do, versus skip this one recommendation. Still, this was all I could get my hands on, and I did find it helpful in parts. Rating: 2 stars.

Cinemascope: Indian Summers (Season 2)

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.



Released in 2016.

Plot line: The 10-part series returns to Simla in the summer of 1935, three years after the events of the first series. Paul Rutman, creator and writer of the series, said: "Our story moves forward three years, to a Viceroy’s last summer, a political gamble to stifle Independence and a great reckoning for Ralph, Alice and Aafrin."

This was originally slated to be a five seasons production, but it turns out that this will be the final season. I can understand why. It did take a rather soap opera-ish bent, but I for one enjoyed all the melodrama, and quite enjoyed the addition of the new characters to the cast.

You can see the season 2 trailer here. If you have yet to see it, this is a TV show worth watching.

Recent Reads

166. The Fair Fight
Someone described this book as Fight Club meets Jane Austen. I concur.

This story has lots of characters, but is told through three main narrators: two women and one man. I think many of the reviews and blurbs give away half the fun of discovering who these narrators are and how they will connect in the story, so all I'll say is that if you are a fan of historical fiction with a wonderful sense of place and gusty women move this to the top of your TBR pile. The writing is really good, one can almost smell and taste the place, the characters are fully fleshed out, the story compelling, and you'll want to read just one more chapter to see what happens next.

The only reason I docked a star is that for the first third of the book the same incidents are described from various points of view, so there is a bit too much repetition. This gets much better as the characters age, so maybe this was intentional on the author's part, but still it's a tad annoying.

I listened to the audiobook, which is wonderfully narrated by Fiona Hardingham, Justine Eyre, Steve West. Their accents and dramatization added to the ambiance of the story, and I'd highly recommend you try the audiobook as well. Rating: 4 stars.

167. 5,000 km Per Second
Sometimes people come into your life, and you can't seem to shake them. Piero and Lucy meet as teens, go their separate ways, and then reconnect years later. This is a strange and melancholy story about people who are unhappy on some fundamental level, the years continue to pass, and roads taken and not are not what they would seem. I liked the watercolor settings in the various locations, particularly the backgrounds, but am not a fan of the how the people were sketched. Overall, I'm left with a moody feeling that seems to have no cause - and maybe that's the point of the book. Rating: 2 stars.

168. The Vision, Volume 1: Little Worse Than A Man
The Vision is a superhero, and not human, but he wants what most humans have - a family and to be ordinary - and as you'd expect him to do, he goes back to the lab and creates a wife, and twin children, and moves his family to the suburbs. What could possibly go wrong?

The art in this volume is quite fun and creepy, but the story line is rather weak. I liked the exploration of what differentiates humans from robots - much of Vision's theories are hilarious - and watching his family try to be normal was amusing. Still, not enough of a story to warrant a higher rating from me. Rating: 3 stars.

169. Saudade
I picked this one up to read in preparation for a recent trip to the Azores. In some ways it was exactly what I was looking for, and in other ways it missed the mark completely.

Ann Parker's life is falling apart, so she decides to spend an indeterminate amount of time in Pico, licking her wounds while continuing her genealogical search into her family's connection to the Azores.

What I really liked about this novel is the setting - place, history, traditions, the people, natural history, etc. Learning about the islands and the migrations of vast numbers of people to the US, including the Boston area, was fascinating. But then, about halfway or so through the book things started to get strange, and a fantasy element seeped in that had me shaking my head in disbelief. What was the point of that angle? I'll never know. Still, if you find yourself looking for a fictional story set in the Azores, I'd recommend the first half to two thirds of this one. Rating: 3 stars.

170. Doctor Sleep (The Shining #2)
At 15.0%: Oh Danny boy.
At 61.0%: Oh my goodness, but this is a page turner, so why do people insist on talking to me?

The end of sailing season means it's time to dive into another King tome, but I had such trepidation going into this one. How the heck does he top The Shining, and why even go back and re-visit those characters? I gingerly plugged in my headphones, took a deep breath, and set out for a long walk. It did not take King long to spin his magical yarn, and I was hooked.

There are loads of plot summaries out there, so all I'll say is that as usual King develops wonderfully creepy and/or deeply flawed characters, and while quite disturbing, this story is not as scary as The Shining. The plot and pacing are both really good in this one, and there are so many little touches that really help flesh out the story. However, as is my usual gripe with King, the girl/women characters in this one are not very well developed. Rose, the Hat, in particular, is rather two dimensional in a story otherwise peopled with interesting characters. After reading this one, you feel like you are all caught up on little Dan Torrance, and you'll never look at those old timers in their RVs quite the same way again.

I listened to the audiobook, which is wonderfully narrated by Will Patton. If you've ever wondered whatever happened to young Danny T, get your hands on this one, buckle in, and enjoy the ride. Rating: 4 stars.

Cinemascope: Great Performances | Hamilton's America

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.

Released in 2016.

Plot line: Hamilton’s America, the documentary film that brings history to vivid life through the lens of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s pop culture Broadway phenomenon Hamilton – winner of 11 Tony Awards® and the Pulitzer Prize – explodes onto thirteen Great Performances, as the season premiere of the PBS Arts Fall Festival.

This is a behind the scenes look at the art and people responsible for this award wining musical. I loved it.

You can see the show here. If you have yet to see it, this is a TV show worth watching.

Inktober 2016 Part 3/4 (Video)

Week 3.



If the embedded video does not work, click here.

Michael Moore’s “Morning After To-Do List”

Could not agree more. Why is it that we complain about the Electoral College every four years, and yet do nothing to fix it?
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You can see his original Facebook post here.

Morning After To-Do List:

1. Take over the Democratic Party and return it to the people. They have failed us miserably.
2. Fire all pundits, predictors, pollsters and anyone else in the media who had a narrative they wouldn't let go of and refused to listen to or acknowledge what was really going on. Those same bloviators will now tell us we must "heal the divide" and "come together." They will pull more hooey like that out of their ass in the days to come. Turn them off.
3. Any Democratic member of Congress who didn't wake up this morning ready to fight, resist and obstruct in the way Republicans did against President Obama every day for eight full years must step out of the way and let those of us who know the score lead the way in stopping the meanness and the madness that's about to begin.
4. Everyone must stop saying they are "stunned" and "shocked". What you mean to say is that you were in a bubble and weren't paying attention to your fellow Americans and their despair. YEARS of being neglected by both parties, the anger and the need for revenge against the system only grew. Along came a TV star they liked whose plan was to destroy both parties and tell them all "You're fired!" Trump's victory is no surprise. He was never a joke. Treating him as one only strengthened him. He is both a creature and a creation of the media and the media will never own that.
5. You must say this sentence to everyone you meet today: "HILLARY CLINTON WON THE POPULAR VOTE!" The MAJORITY of our fellow Americans preferred Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. Period. Fact. If you woke up this morning thinking you live in an effed-up country, you don't. The majority of your fellow Americans wanted Hillary, not Trump. The only reason he's president is because of an arcane, insane 18th-century idea called the Electoral College. Until we change that, we'll continue to have presidents we didn't elect and didn't want. You live in a country where a majority of its citizens have said they believe there's climate change, they believe women should be paid the same as men, they want a debt-free college education, they don't want us invading countries, they want a raise in the minimum wage and they want a single-payer true universal health care system. None of that has changed. We live in a country where the majority agree with the "liberal" position. We just lack the liberal leadership to make that happen (see: #1 above).

Let's try to get this all done by noon today.
-- Michael Moore

Cinemascope: The Knick (Season 2)

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.



Released in 2015.

Plot line: Season 2 of the Emmy-winning drama, directed by Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh and starring Oscar-nominee Clive Owen as John Thackery, a brilliant but drug-addled surgeon who pushes the boundaries of medicine, morality and race in 1900s New York. Thackery’s absence (hospitalized for cocaine addiction), a lack of affluent patients and financial missteps have led to a decision by the hospital’s board to shutter the downtown location and move uptown. Algernon Edwards (André Holland) jockeys to become Thackery’s successor as Chief of Surgery, while fellow doctors, nurses, nuns and others grapple with personal and professional challenge.

This continues to be a gritty and fascinating show. Highly recommended for fans of medical dramas and historical fiction. I've never understood people who want to go back in time. Let's just start with the approved medical practices of the day. Sends shivers up my spine.

You can see the trailer here. If you have yet to see it, this is a TV show worth watching.

The art of being yourself | Caroline McHugh (Video)

Stumbled across this interesting talk the other day, and it gave me lots to think about.



If the embedded video does not work, click here.

Cinemascope: Playing by Heart

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.



Released in 1998.

Plot line: In this tale of how love binds 11 random people from Los Angeles, a married couple (Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands) prepare to renew vows; a widowed mother (Ellen Burstyn) cares for a dying son (Jay Mohr); a couple (Madeleine Stowe, Anthony Edwards) have an affair; a theater director (Gillian Anderson) strikes up a relationship with a stranger (Jon Stewart); an aspiring actress (Angelina Jolie) pursues a shy young man and a lone man (Dennis Quaid) talks of heartbreak to strangers.

I watched this oldie again recently, and love it as much as the first time I watched it. Really good acting and dialogue don't ever go out of style. Part of the fun is figuring out how all these people are connected.

You can see the trailer here. If you have yet to see it, this is a movie worth watching.

Azores Island Hopping | Faial

25th anniversary trip got off to a rocky start with canceled flights, but here we are wallowing in beautiful Horta. #faial #azores #travel #marinadahorta #25down25togo

Enjoying that famous 'Azores High' with long rambles to get fab views of #Horta. #ilovetheazores #montedaguia



The views get better round every turn. I kid you not. #getoutside ##hiketheazores #montedaguia



Postcard snapshots. #snailmail #happymail



Lucked out with lovely weather for our final morning in #Horta. Even shy Pico shed her layers of clouds to grace us with her presence. Spent our final hours strolling again around #marinadahorta admiring the open air painting gallery. These are created by sailors who crossed the Atlantic, no small feat, and oh what tales they tell. #boats